Switch-box.



J. KRONBERGER.

SWITCH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.20, 1910.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J OE Oli CONEE ISLAND, NEW YORK; ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO LEO Z.

SGHULHOF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

To all 'whom-it'my concern:

Be it known that I, Jon KRONBERGER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Coney Island, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to switch boxes and more particularly to' improvements therein.

The object of the invention is to enable a switch-box to be used and adjusted to various different positions so as to" enable the same to be properly installed under difi'ering conditions.

The dilnculty with the installation of switch-boxes hitherto was that the support on which the box was placed and the wall through which the switch was intended to protrude were not parallel. This necessitated fine adjustments on the part of the operator installing the switch-box, which adjustment, however, very often was interferred with in the course of the completion of the building.

The object of this invention is to provide a switch-box which may be readily placed in proper position and after once inposition be not seriously afl'ected by any further manipulation of the box.

The object of the invention is further to provide a switch-box commensurate with practical requirements and having advantages inconstruction over the switch-boxes hitherto in use.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is .a plan view of my improved switch-box, Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, Fig. 3 a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is an enlarged section of the adjusting portion shown in Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the adjusting portion also shown on an enlarged scale.

Similar reference characters indicate cor.- responding parts throughout the several gures.

Referring to the drawings, the usual sup port 7 which is a beam or similar structural element has thereon the base 8 of the switchbox, which base 8 is secured to the top 10 by rivets or screws 9 passing through the flanges 12. Screws 11 pass through the flanges 12 and enter the beam or supporting member 7. g

The switches are arranged in'the switchbox, the base of which is provided with inlet and outlet openings and conducting i Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 20, 1910. Serial No. 539,009.

. SWITCH-BOX.

wires. The manipulating portions of the switches pass through the wall 13, and flush plate 31. All this is well known. In the course of construction of buildings it very often happens that the beam 7 and wall 13 are not parallel, whilethe top and bottom surfaces of the switch-box are parallel since they are manufactured in large numbers, and for this-reason, are more or less uniform. Great difliculty is encountered in properly placing the switch-box between the supporting beam 7 and the wall 13, in case these are not parallel. Also after adjustment is once made, great difliculty .is encountered in re-adjustment if the first adjustment is once interfered with. To overcome this difiiculty I provide the top 10 of the switch-box with an opening 14 and arrange a sleeve 15 of substantially the same size as the opening 14 but with suflicient space therebetween to allow a clearance to exist between the opening 14 and the sleeve 15. In order to regulate the movement of the sleeve in respect to the top I provide the top with catches or pawls 16 and provide the ends of the sleeves with notches or recesses 17 adapted to be engaged by the pawls 16. This engagement is clearly shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. The sleeve 15 is made ofa material such as sheet metal or fiber which has a natural spring to it so that by a com paratively slight movement, the sleeve may be moved relatively to the top of th switchbox. The spring action, however, is such that a pressure must be exerted to move the parts, in order that an accidental jar will not misplace them. That is, the engage ment between the notches and pawls must be such that it will require considerable pressure to shift the relative positions of the members and that a substantial locking action is provided.

By the action of the sleeve in relation to the switch-box top,- the switch-box may be used in places which vary in space within the limits of the adjustment, and the switch placed in position flush with the wall Independent of the position occupied by the base portion of the switch box. j

My improved box isreadily placed in position, and has not the disadvantages of the boxes used hitherto, which were subjected to changes in adjustment by the careless- Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

ness of mechanics after having been placed in adjustment.

Among the advantages of my improved box are that the sleeve will adjust itself to any position vertical or horizontal, and that it can be pulled out until the switch-plate is flush with the wall finish. Furthermore in the close adjustment of the sleeve, a spark proof box is provided.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings and hereinabove described, the pawl 16 and the edge of the top portion 8 are shown as 10 separate members suitably assembled as also the members and 18 form-ing the mov-- In the manufacture of the de-.

able sleeve. vice these separate members may be made integral so that the device may be produced 15 by the usual stamping operation and thereby the expense of the same reduced. The improvements described may also be adapted to outlet boxes.

The movement of the sleeve relative to 20 the switch box cover is such that one end of the same may enter the switch-box top to a greater extent than the other, while by reason of the slight pivotal action which exists between the pawl and the notches the sleeve 15 may be given a lateral movement so that the flanges 18 of the sleeve may be made flush with the wall no matter what inclination the wall may have. I have shown one embodiment of my in- 0 vention but I do not wish to limit myself to thesame since other forms may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

The switch mechanism 25 is secured to the end 18 of the sleeve by screws 81 and thereby takes the adjustment of thesleeve. The flush plate 31 is attached, as is well lmown, to the switch mechanism and in turn to the improved sleeve and by reason of the adjustability of the sleeve the flush plate may be brought absolutely flush with the finished surface of the wall. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by. Letters Patent is: I

1. In a switch box, a portion provided with an angular opening, a resilient sleeve fitting in said opening and provided with outwardly opening inwardly closed spaced grooves, parallel to the plane of the front edge of the sleeve, and pawls secured to said box and each having a transversely elongatedend adapted to engage. in said grooves and simultaneously against both the closed ends thereof.

2. In a switch box, a top portion having an angular opening,.a resilient sleeve fitting in said opening and having notches at opposite ends, and means carried by the top piece for engaging in said notches.

3. In a switch box, a top portion having an angular opening, a resilient sleeve fitting in said openingand having notches at op posite ends, and means carried by the top piece for engaging in said notches, said sleeve being adapted to be sprung to move said notches away from said means.

4;. In a switch box, a top portion-having an opening, a sleeve adjustably fitted in said opening and provided with a series of outwardly opening notches, and a projection carried by said top portion and engaging in said notches, the part of said sleeve carrying said notches being adapted to be bent inwardly toward the axis of the sleeve whereby said projection'is disengaged from the notches. x

5. A switch box comprising, a base portio-n, a top portion secured thereto and having a rectangular opening, pawls secured to the top portion at the ends of said opening and projecting parallel to the axis thereof, and a sleeve of rectangular cross-section snugly engaging in said opening, the end walls of said sleeve being provided each with a series of notches adapted to engage each of said pawls, said end walls being resilient and adapted to be bent to move the notches out of engagement with the pawls.

6. A switch box comprising, a base portion, a top portion secured thereto having an elongated rectangular opening and having at each end an elongated pawl projecting parallel to the axis of the top portion, and a sleeve of rectangular cross-section snugly engaging in said opening having its end walls each provided with a series of transversely disposed outwardly opening inwardly closed groove-like notches, any one of which is adapted to engage the corresponding pawl substantially from end to end of the engaging face of the pawl and notch, each of said walls being adapted to be sprung to move the notches away from enagement with the pawls.

7 An electric conduit box cover combined with an adjustable sleeve fitting therein and resilient holding devices secured to one of the parts and provided with corrugations arranged to act on an edge of the other.

8. An electric conduit box cover having a rectangular opening surrounded by an inturned flange, a sleeve located in said opening and adapted to be set in angular positions and'a resilient corrugated or notched locking device secured to bear against the inturned flange of the cover.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses,

' JOE KRONBERGER. Witnesses:

FANNIE Flex, CHAS. BAUMGARTEN. 

